"Pizza Polenta" with Creamy Parmesan Polenta, Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Crispy Pepperoni, a Drizzle of Gremolata Pesto, Burrata, + Fresh Basil

Okay, so I promised a couple days ago to feature a recipe that uses my favorite go-to Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce as a main component. And well, I think y'all are gonna really love this one because we sure did! Now the whole concept of this dish is to make a hearty bowl of polenta that tastes like a slice of fancy pizza. It starts with a big ole serving of my creamy parmesan polenta. This polenta is so versatile that you can eat it at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We make it at least once a week, it's that good. Anyway, on top of that dreamy porridge pillow comes a few ladles of that tomato sauce I've been raving about lately. The sauce has that perfect bite of acidity and sweetness that the tomato lends to the meal as a whole. Then comes the crispy pepperoni, which has texture. Now, I don't want y'all to go out and buy slices of pepperoni and just throw it on there because that just won't do. Go to the store, grab a log of pepperoni, and cut it into thick cubes, toss it into a skillet with a little bit of butter, and crisp it up until it has a gorgeous char to it. Next, I came up with a little mash-up of what I like to call "Gremolata Pesto", which is just mix of all of the ingredients from a traditional gremolata and a classic pesto. I have always loved the lemon zest that goes in a gremolata, it brings such brightness to any dish to put it on. And this condiment does just that in such a considerably rich recipe. I can't wait to drizzle it on my next homemade pizza or over some spaghetti + meatballs. Lastly and most importantly, like any good piece of pizza, you need some good mozzarella. Now, not any kind of mozzarella would do, so I quickly grabbed some Burrata while I was at the store. When you plop one of those ever-so-creamy Burrata balls into the center of the piping hot parmesan polenta and tomato sauce, the heat begins to melt the thin layer of cheese on the outside and the heavenly filling will begin to ooze out into the bowl. You meet heaven, heaven greets you and welcomes you inside, you can die happy now, rest assured. Garnish the dish with some fresh basil and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and this bad boy is ready to go. I know y'all will enjoy this bowl of goodness just as much as we did!! Enjoy :)

Oh you know you want a bite of this...

For the Parmesan Polenta:

4C Unsalted Chicken Stock (Homemade or Store-Bought)

2 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C Stone-Ground Cornmeal

1T Kosher Salt + 1t Fresh Cracked Pepper

1C Freshly Grated Parmesan

4oz Creamy Fontina Cheese, Shredded

¼C Crème Fraiche or Sour Cream

4T Unsalted Butter

¼-½C Heavy Cream or Milk (to thin it out to your desired thickness)

For the Gremolata Pesto:

1 Small Bunch of Fresh Parsley

1 Small Bunch of Fresh Basil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced into a Paste (with a little fleur de sel)

2 Organic Lemons, Zested

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

½C Walnuts, Finely Minced

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C EVOO

1T White Balsamic Reduction (honey may be substituted)

For the Pizza Polenta:

Prepared Parmesan Polenta

1 Batch of Homemade Brown Butter Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Warm

8oz Pepperoni, Cut into Cubes & Cooked until Crispy

Prepared Gremolata Pesto, For Drizzling

Balls of Burrata

Fresh Basil, For Garnishing

Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Parmesan Polenta: In a large pot, pour in the chicken stock and add in the minced garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce to heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and add in kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Simmer, while stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes or until they are thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you’re stirring. Move the pan off the heat and mix in the freshly grated Parmesan, shredded fontina cheese, crème fraiche, butter, and fresh herbs. If this mixture becomes to thick (either by overcooking and allowing it to sit too long), stir in some of the heavy cream/milk to loosen it again. Taste for seasonings and serve it immediately.

2. For the Gremolata Pesto: Finely mince the basil, parsley, garlic, and walnuts and place into a small mixing bowl. Using a Microplane, grate the Parmesan cheese and lemon zest in next. Stir in the olive oil and white balsamic reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set it aside until you are ready to drizzle it on top of the dish.

3. In a small sauté pan, heat 1T of butter over medium-low heat. Add in the pepperoni and brown them until they are beginning to crisp up on the outside. This will take about 5-10 minutes. While the pepperoni is cooking, heat up a batch of your homemade Brown Butter Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce in a small pot.

4. Assembling the Dish: Ladle in a few scoops of the Parmesan Polenta into a serving bowl, followed by some of the tomato sauce, burrata, some of the crispy pepperoni, a drizzle of Gremolata Pesto, chiffonade basil, and red pepper flakes. Serve while the dish is still piping hot!

Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad with Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Baby Arugula, Shaved Shallots, Toasted Walnuts, Fresh Cilantro, + a Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique

Spring has sprung, y'all! Let's all join in for a collective rejoice because that officially mean Farmer's Market season is back in full swing, and with that, it means fresh produce is at its' peak! My Mountain Man and I recently went to one of our favorite restaurants and we ordered a roasted carrot salad with goat cheese, arugula, + a citrus vinaigrette. We loved the combination of flavors, so I took the idea and ran with it. It just so happens that I spotted some baby heirloom rainbow carrots (try and say that whole spiel five times fast) and I instantly connected them with the inspiration burning in my belly to recreate this salad. It happens to still be citrus season down south, so I knew that I wanted to make a blood orange gastrique to drizzle over the top. Not only does this add a beautiful, deep scarlet color, but a beautiful acidic note to the entire dish. Oh, and it's got a nice spicy kick that will leave your mouth with slight tingling. After looking through my go-to cookbook, The Flavor Bible, and it suggests to pair carrots with cumin, other earthy spices, nuts, and citrus. I first made a "marinade" of tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, + turmeric. The baby carrots are tossed + coated in this marinade mixture before being roasted in the over until they are golden brown and just slightly charred. And make sure to allow them to cool to room temperature before you begin assembling the salad, so the whipped goat cheese doesn't melt + the baby arugula doesn't wilt due to the heat. Now I want to make sure that you guys use baby arugula because the peppery note from these greens is so perfect, it doesn't miss a beat. I also added in some shaved shallots for a bit of a bite and some toasted walnuts for some texture. Obviously, I am a complete lush when it comes to goat cheese, especially when it is whipped and flavored with roasted garlic + honey, but you could easily make whipped feta as the base of your salad if you prefer that instead. After the salad is tediously layered and beautified, I sprinkle some fresh minced cilantro to round out all of the flavors. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case, it is completely and utterly true. I cannot think of another dish that would be more enjoyable on a gorgeous springtime afternoon than this salad. So that only means that... you just gotta make it!! Enjoy :)

For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique:

1C Freshly Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

1 Blood Orange, Zested

3T Sugar

3T Red Wine Vinegar

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1T Light Corn Syrup

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Salt

For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese:

A Head of Roasted Garlic Cloves, Cooled

4oz Softened Cream Cheese

½C Heavy Cream

10z Honey Goat Cheese

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots:

1 ½-2lbs Baby Rainbow Carrots (keep the stems on, but trimmed short)

4T Roasted Tahini

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3T Maple Syrup

2t Cumin

½t Cardamom, Coriander, Cinnamon, + Turmeric

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper (we used a good pinch of salt to balance the sweetness)

For the Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad:

Prepared Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Chilled

Baby Arugula (do not substitute any other greens, you need the peppery notes)

Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Room Temperature

1 Small Shallot, Thinly Shaved

1 Big Handful of Walnuts, Toasted + Roughly Chopped

Prepared Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique, Chilled

Fresh Cilantro, Minced (for garnishing)

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique: In a small pot, pour in the blood orange juice and add in the blood orange zest, sugar, red wine vinegar, a generous pinch of salt, and sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring this liquid to a hard boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. Allow this mixture to reduce in half, about 5-10 minutes. Once it has reduced down, remove the sprigs of thyme and whisk in the light corn syrup. Bring to a boil once more and allow it to thicken to a nice, smooth syrup. We reduced ours to about a little more than ¼C. Whisk in the dried red pepper flakes and chill the gastrique in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled.

2. For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese, roasted garlic cloves, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of crumbled honey goat cheese at a time, until the goat cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Place in the refrigerator to chill slightly.

3. For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with some Pam. Set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the roasted tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, Turmeric, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. The mixture will be pretty thick, but that’s okay, it will help to thickly coat the baby carrots. Toss the carrots in the tahini using your hands until they are completely covered. Lay them out in a single layer on the prepared pan and roast for 25 minutes. Boost your oven up to broil and allow them to reach a gorgeous golden brown color with a slight char (just keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to burn). Remove the roasted carrots from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before assembling the salad.

4. For the Roasted Carrot Salad: On a pretty dinner plate, spoon a blanket of the whipped roasted garlic goat cheese on the bottom, and then mound a handful of baby arugula on top of the cheese. Now stack the spiced tahini roasted carrots on top of the greens (almost log cabin style), followed by some of the shaved shallots, and a scattering of the toasted walnuts. Drizzle the entire dish with some of the spicy blood orange gastrique, as well as a sprinkle of minced cilantro, fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately! 

Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Hey y'all, sorry I have been out of commission, we have been traveling non-stop. First we were in Birmingham for about a week, and then Atlanta for a few days, and in just two day, we're heading off to New Orleans for the Alabama vs. Ohio State game at the Sugar Bowl for the first football playoff game... oh yeah, and we get to celebrate New Years Eve there too!! So it will have been a couple crazy weeks. But even though we are heading to the famous Bourbon Street, sadly, we have to admit that Christmas has passed us once again :( I can't believe it has already come + gone and now we have have to wait a'whole'nother year before celebrating it again. This year, since we were so busy, I unfortunately didn't get to make but two new recipes to honor the holiday season. This is the first recipe and it is the perfect party appetizer that all your friends + family are sure to enjoy. And hey, it's festive in color, to boot! The cheeseball begins with softened cream cheese + boursin cheese, shredded cranberry cheddar + aged gruyere, caramelized walnuts, crispy sage, fresh chives, and finally rolled in pomegranate arils. How perfect is that... green, red, + white? It's like Santa's elves made it themselves. Honestly, it is so easy to make as well. All you have to do is beat together the softened cream cheese and boursin until whipped + cohesive. And then toss in the the shredded cheese, walnuts, herbs, and some fresh cracked pepper. Mix it together until a cohesive mixture is formed, and using plastic wrap, roll it into one large ball or two medium-sized balls, before placing them into the fridge to chill. Meanwhile, pour your pomegranate arils onto a thickly, paper towel-lined cutting board and spread them out, so that they can dry as much as possible. The more moisture removed, the better the cheeseball will look and taste (we don't want no soggy cheese, y'all)!! After the cheeseball has chilled out in the fridge and the pomegranate is perfectly dry, you just need roll the ball around in the arils, pressing them in slightly, so that they adhere and stick to the cheese... making the perfect presentation. You can serve the festive christmas cheeseball directly out of the refrigerator or you can let it soften a bit, so it is easier to spread onto various crackers. This appetizer hits every flavor note that you could ever want... salty, sweet, juicy, herby, cheesy, fruity, creamy, + nutty!! I hope y'all get to enjoy this one before New Years Day!! Enjoy :)

 

For the Festive Cheeseball:

4T Unsalted Butter, Melted

16 Fresh Sage Leaves

1 Round of Boursin Cheese, Softened

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

6oz Cranberry Cheddar, Shredded

6oz Aged Gruyere, Shredded

1C Caramelized Walnuts

¼C Fresh Minced Chives (or more if you please)

Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

1C Fresh Pomegranate Arils (enough to cover the ball; dried cranberries are a good substitute)

Various Styles of Crackers, For Serving

Directions:

1. Frying the Sage: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it's sizzling, toss in the sage leaves and cook until crispy - flipping once and cooking about 1 minute per side. Remove the sage leaves and place them on a paper towel to crisp up a bit. Set the butter aside.

2. Making the Cheeseball: In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and cheddar cheese. Beat until combined, and then add in the almonds, sage leaves, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and the bottom if needed. Take the cheese mixture out of the bowl and mold it into a big ball as best you can. Roll it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Prepping the Pomegranate: Meanwhile, place the arils on a paper towel and pat them completely dry. Let them sit out while the cheese is chilling to remove as much liquid from them as possible. This will keep the cheeseball pretty, and not wet or slimy.

4. Finishing the Cheeseball: After 30 minutes, mold the cheese into more of a smooth ball. Add the arils to a plate or baking sheet and roll the ball through them, using your hands to press arils into all the cracks and crevices. You will need to gently press so the arils adhere to the cheese. At this time, you can serve it immediately or keep it in the fridge until ready to use. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can rolls the ball 1 to 2 days beforehand. I'd wait until the night before or morning of to add the pomegranate arils, and you may need to let the cheese come to room temp a bit so it's sticky enough.

5. Serve with various types of crackers and enjoy with friends + family!

Source: Pomegranate Jeweled, White Cheddar, Toasted Almond, and Crispy Sage Cheeseball

Soup Sunday: Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Mole Spiced Nuts & Lime Crema

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Mole Spiced Nuts & Lime Crema

I have a love for sweet potatoes. I would live off of them for the rest of my life. A couple years back when I was in the hospital, all I wanted were sweet potatoes. Finally, when I was allowed to eat food, I made sweet potato soup for every single meal and enjoyed it for about 2 months. That's just not normal. So, this soup would go down as one of my favorites. This is obviously a little bit different from the last time I made it because it has chipotle peppers to make it extra spicy. Then, the soup is topped off with a nut crumble that is extra special because it has the sweet flavors from a traditional Mexican Mole sauce. For some acidity, it is drizzled with a Lime Crema and garnished with fresh chopped cilantro. This soup is spicy, sweet, and creamy and just warms you down to the core. So go on and make this for yourself and a cold, lazy Sunday!! Enjoy :)

For Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup:

4 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled & Cubed

3 Stalks of Celery, Diced

1 Large Vidalia Onion, Diced

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced

4C Chicken or Vegetable Stock

2C Heavy Cream

2-4 Chipotles in Adobo, Roughly Chopped

1t Cumin & Cinnamon

½t Ground Cloves & Ginger

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For Mole Spiced Nuts:

¼C Dark Brown Sugar

¼C Sugar 

2C Whole Nuts, Toasted (I used a mixture of Pecans, Walnuts, & Almonds)

1t Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Cinnamon

½t Chipotle Powder & Paprika

Pinch of Cayenne

1 Egg White, Room Temperature

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (I did a good bit of salt for a sweet & salty combination)

For the Lime Crema:

8oz Mexican Crema or Sour Cream

2 Limes, Zested

1 Lime, Juiced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup: In one large soup pot, sauté the onions, and celery in 2T melted butter for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, chipotles, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm or simmer until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Mole Spiced Nuts: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Mix together the sugars, salt & pepper, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chipotle powder, and cayenne, making sure there are no lumps. Set it aside. Beat the egg white until frothy and add in the toasted nuts, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle the nuts with the sugar-spice mixture and toss until evenly coated again. Spread the sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with a Silpat. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When completely cool, roughly chop the nuts and set aside until you are ready to garnish the soup.

3. For the Lime Crema: Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl until incorporated and smooth. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. Serve the soup with a drizzle of Lime Crema and roughly chopped Mole Spiced nuts.

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter is singlehandedly the most delicious ingredient I cook with. I mean, if I'm making a dessert, most likely brown butter will be included. It's especially important in my favorite chocolate chunk cookie recipe, and it ain't too shabby in savory recipes either, honey! Well, I had been wanting to make Baklava for a while now, but I had to wait until autumn because it just seems like the perfect comfort food on a cold day with a glass of hot coffee. And trust me, we snuck a little triangle at every meal. So, why not add brown butter to each & every layer of Baklava? Brilliant I tell, friggin' brilliant. It seriously enhances the already-bold, nutty flavor from the roasted pecans and walnuts. Then, you add in honey, vanilla beans, warm spices, and citrus... and you got one balanced Baklava, people. The whole pan disappeared within a day, and I was tempted to make another, but I knew my body would completely shut down on me if did. Although some people are intimidated by Baklava recipes, I really didn't think it was difficult at all. Just make sure you have everything ready and prepped, so you can keep layering at a steady pace. Aren't y'all glad fall is finally back? I have missed it soooo!! Enjoy :)

Look at that deep golden brown color...

And those flaky, soaked layers...

And that crispy top...

For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

2C Orange Blossom Honey

½C Water

½C Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean, Scraped for Seeds & Saving the Pod (or you can use 1T Vanilla Bean Paste)

½t Cinnamon

¼t Ground Cloves, Ground Cardamom & Ground Nutmeg

1 Lemon Zest, Peeled

1t Orange Flower Water

¼t Sea Salt

For the Brown Butter Baklava:

1 Package of Phyllo Dough, Defrosted Overnight & Brought to Room Temperature for Hour

2C Roasted Pecans, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

2C Roasted Walnuts, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

½t Cinnamon

¼t Sea Salt 

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

Prepared Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup, Cooled Completely Before Using

Melted Dark Chocolate, For Drizzling (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the Phyllo dough package from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours in order to thaw. The next day, remove the package from the refrigerator 1 hour before using, so it can come to room temperature. When working with the Phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, and then cover with a damp cloth.

2. For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup: Bring a pot over medium-high heat and whisk in the orange blossom honey, water, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange flower water, salt, and peeled lemon zest strips. Whisk until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, whisk in the brown butter.  Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture has become slightly thickened into syrup. Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and strain the syrup into the bowl (this will help remove the vanilla bean pod, lemon peel, and any other gritty spice pieces). Let this mixture cool completely before pouring over the baklava.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the nuts onto a baking sheet. Roast the nuts until toasted and fragrant, but make sure not to burn! Just until the oils are beginning to release and they are warmed through. Let the nuts cool to room temperature. Next, using a food processor, pulse the roasted nuts until they are finely ground into small pieces, but do not pulse too much because they will turn into a paste. Pour the ground nuts into a small bowl and toss the nuts with the cinnamon and sea salt until combined. Set it aside.

4. For the Brown Butter Baklava: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and thoroughly brush on some of the melted brown butter into a 13x9 baking pan. Brush the top sheet of Phyllo with melted brown butter, and then grab it and the unbuttered sheet bellow it. Set the two sheets in the pan, buttered sheet face down. Press lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have six sheets of Phyllo in the pan (three sheets of buttered & three sheets of unbuttered). Sprinkle on a third of the nut mixture to make a single even layer. Drizzle some more brown butter on top of the nuts. Butter two more sheets of Phyllo and place them on top of the nut layer. Add another third of the nut mixture, followed by two buttered sheets of Phyllo. Repeat this one last time, making sure to use up the last third of the nut mixture and one last layer of buttered Phyllo. Finish the baklava by adding 6-8 more layers of buttered Phyllo. So that there is roughly 8-10 layers of buttered Phyllo dough finishing the baklava. Brush on any extra brown butter over the top to make sure that they brown beautifully in the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut through the layers, forming a diagonal or triangle pattern.

5. Bake the Brown Butter Baklava for 45 minutes to an hour or until it is flaky and the top layers are a dark golden brown color. Once browned, remove the baklava from the oven and immediately drizzle half of the cooled Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow it to sit and absorb the syrup for a minute or two, and then drizzle on more of the syrup until it is thoroughly moistened. You can either use all of it for a really, really sticky baklava or just have some of the syrup left over for cooking other recipes. Allow the baklava to cool completely, uncovered, for at least 3-4 hours.

6. Once it is cooled, soaked, & sticky, carefully remove from the pan and enjoy immediately.

Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad with Radicchio, Baby Arugula, and Crispy Capers Tossed in Homemade Caesar Vinaigrette in a Parmesan Frico Bowl

Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad 

I promise that I am almost out of recipes from our anniversary celebration. And I can finally get to posting some tailgatin' recipes and autumn-inspired dishes. Soup will definitely be on the menu... and some hearty comfort food as well. Until then, here's my unique take on a Caesar Salad. I don't especially love Caesar Salads, but every now & then, I kinda get the craving for them. So why not change up that plain ole' salad and give it a fancy restaurant kick? Well besides brown butter... I'd say that fried brussel sprouts have to be one of my favorite dishes ever. I mean it, they're the best. So nutty, crispy, and delicious. I urge you to give them a try, even if it's just for a small snack. Add in some peppery arugula and bitter radicchio... it's a winning combination. For serving, I made large Parmesan Frico's that I inverted over a bowl, so they could be personal serving platter on the plate. One word... amazing. Have y'all ever had Parmesan Frico's? They are like the crispy cheese bits on a pizza crust. And why not add some fried capers, crispy pancetta, toasted walnuts, and homemade dressing? Ain't nothin' better. I know this is quite the complicated salad, but when you're celebrating, that's what you should do. And hey, you can always turn this into an entree and top with some protein!! Enjoy :)

Such pretty colors...

For the Caesar Vinaigrette:

½C Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced into a Paste

¼C Fresh Lemon Juice

1t Worcestershire

4oz Freshly Grated Parmesan

1t Anchovy Paste

2 Eggs

Salt & Fresh Cracked, To Taste

For the Parmesan Frico Bowl:

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan (for each Frico bowl)

For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad:

2lb Brussel Sprouts, Trimmed & Halved

2C Baby Arugula

1 Small Radicchio, Thinly Sliced or Shaved

Parmesan, Freshly Shaved (to your liking)

Crispy Pancetta or Bacon Lardons (to your liking)

Crispy Fried Capers (to your liking)

Toasted Walnuts or Pine Nuts (to your liking)

Prepared Caesar Vinaigrette

Prepared Parmesan Fico Bowls

Directions:

1. For the Caesar Vinaigrette: In a very large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and garlic. Let it sit and infuse the oil for 30 minutes. Add the anchovies and eggs to the garlic oil. Whisk it until it is creamy. Add in the salt and pepper, along with ¼C lemon juice. Whisk in half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For the Parmesan Frico Bowl: In a small non-stick sauté pan cover the bottom with a layer of Parmesan. Wait a couple minutes for the cheese to melt and turn golden brown. Carefully remove the cheese from the pan and place over a small inverted bowl or cup so that it takes on the shape of the bowl. Cool for 30 seconds then remove.

3. For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad: Pour enough oil into a medium pot so that the oil comes 3 inches up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches, deep-fry the Brussels sprouts until the edges begin to curl and brown, about 3 minutes. To the last batch, add the capers (stand back-the capers will pop and sputter!). Give the contents of the pot a stir. When the color of the capers becomes a deeper, more saturated shade of green, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, remove the contents of the pot with a skimmer and place directly in the bowl of dressing.

4. Add in the baby arugula, shaved radicchio, and all of the other desired toppings that you like. Toss with the dressing to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Place a Parmesan Frico on a plate and spoon the tossed salad into the bowl. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately while the brussel sprouts are still crispy.